US Embassy Cairo Charge d’Affaires, Ambassador Beth
Jones, attended the Cairo Peace Summit on behalf of United States saying that
Palestinians are not Hamas, and the terror group does not represent the
Palestinian people, according to a statement by the US State Department.
Ambassador Jones stressed, “To conflate the two only
prolongs part of the misunderstanding at the very heart of this crisis.”
Palestinian civilians are not to blame and should not
suffer for Hamas’ horrific terrorism, she noted.
“Civilian lives must be protected, and assistance must
urgently reach those in need. We will continue to work closely with our
partners in the region to stress the importance of upholding the law of war,
respect for international humanitarian law, supporting those who are trying to
get people to safety or provide assistance, and facilitating access to food,
water, medical care, and shelter,” she added.
The US State Department informed the Cairo Peace
Summit, which was held in Egypt, was attended by US Embassy Cairo Charge d’Affaires
Ambassador Beth Jones on behalf of the US Government.
It added that world leaders from the international
community gathered to coordinate the urgent need for humanitarian assistance
for the Palestinian people.
Expressing gratitude to Egyptian president Abdel
Fattah El-Sisi for hosting the summit, she said, “Ongoing efforts for a
peaceful, stable Middle East, condemned the horrific actions by Hamas on
October 7 against Israel, and outlined US support for Palestinian aspirations.”
Jonas added that Hamas unleashed pure, unadulterated
evil on Israel and civilians as well as the Palestinian people on October 7, “in
a demonstration of moral depravity, exasperation, and political weakness”,
noting that Hamas purports to represent the Palestinian people.
Meanwhile, according to the statement, President Biden
cautioned Israel not to become blinded by rage.
The US further extended support for the Palestinian
people’s right to dignity and to self-determination.
“We are still the world’s largest contributor of aid
to the Palestinian people and remain committed to their aspirations for a
two-state solution,” she said.
President Biden and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken
have unequivocally reaffirmed US support for a durable, lasting peace in the
Middle East, built on the foundation of a two-state solution.
“We must keep pursuing a path so that Israel and the
Palestinian people can both live safely, in security, in dignity, and in peace.
Egypt is an indispensable partner in that endeavour,” Jones said, according to
the statement.
Earlier, Biden reassured Israel’s Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu of United States’ unwavering support for Israel. She
emphasised the commitment to stand by Israel as it defends its citizens, particularly
in the face of recent terrorist attacks by Hamas.
In a discussion with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, US President Joe Biden conveyed to the Jewish leader that “Israel
must operate by the laws of war” in its war against Hamas.
Calling for a two-state solution in the ongoing
conflict between Israel and Hamas, he added that Israel has the right to defend
itself as well, and at the same time, the humanity of innocent Palestinians who
only want to live in peace cannot be ignored.
“Israel has the right to defend itself. We must make
sure they have what they need to protect their people today and always. At the
same time, Prime Minister Netanyahu and I have discussed how Israel must
operate by the laws of war. That means protecting civilians in combat as best
as they can,” Biden wrote in a post on social media platform X.
“We can’t ignore the humanity of innocent Palestinians,
who only want to live in peace. That’s why I secured an agreement for the first
shipment of humanitarian assistance for Palestinian civilians in Gaza,” Biden
said, adding, “And we cannot give up on a two-state solution.”
ANI
